


Give or Take

by shindouchrono



Category: Elsword (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Corruption, Other, all of the ships are onesided. i'm sorry, one-sided
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-24 21:02:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14962125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shindouchrono/pseuds/shindouchrono
Summary: It was the upside of corruption. You'd always be certain that you weren't the only one.





	Give or Take

The first time Ciel goes out of his way to talk to Add is memorable. The El Search Party had a campfire, gathering around to tell stories. Some didn't speak, some only listened.

Two, however, watched. They didn't watch the same person, nor were they watching each other.

Add intently watches Eve, studying her motions and subtle expressions.

Ciel carefully watches Ain who smiles as he speaks. Gentle, tenderly crafted words soaked with a pompous air.

Ain and Eve both look at Elsword.

Add follows Eve's gaze. Ciel follows Ain’s gaze. They both look at Elsword, with matching flat expressions and furrowed brows.

Then, Add and Ciel make eye contact. Add narrows his eyes into a glare, and Ciel makes a half-hearted attempt at forcing a smile. Lu nudges him with her elbow, and the eye contact disappears. When Ciel looks back, Add is glaring off in a different direction.

Now, they sit across from each other. Add’s gaze is focused on the floor. Ciel is fixated on the distant horizon. Finally, a sigh breaks the silence between the two.

None of the other members are present, not even Lu.

“...What exactly did you want to talk about, Ciel? Kukuku, I hadn't imagined you'd ever need to come to me.”

Ciel raises a brow, choosing to ignore Add’s metaphorical bared fangs. In this moment, Add's tone makes Ciel think of a kitten flashing his claws.

It's an adorable thought.

Ciel doesn't know much about Add. Only bits and pieces-- Lu and Ciel were the newest member of the Search Party, and Add didn't share much about himself anyways.

Add had an eye patch and an ever-present angry glare. He laughed loudly and boldly. Add had stated his fondness for Nasods, and everyone had long noticed his infatuation for Eve-- well, not everyone. Add was obviously oblivious to his own feelings.

Ciel restrains a bitter laugh. Ignorance is bliss.

As for Ciel’s feelings for Ain…

...Well, Ciel was a grown man, long past his rebellious teenage years, so he knew the gains of hiding unreciprocated feelings.

“It seems the two of us bear more similarities than we knew.”

“Kukuk, don't compare me to you.”

Add says this, but his shoulders hunch up and he stares at the ground. He suddenly looks small. It hurts to look at.

The silence returns. The sky is dark, crickets chirp in the distance.

“... Sometimes I think about what it would be like.” Add speaks, looking reluctant. “If Elsword weren't…”

They really were alike.

“If he had _never_ been, then…” Ciel’s voice is hardly audible.

Add finishes their sentence with something Ciel had always wondered. “Would the El Search Party have been formed in the first place?”

Ciel and Add lock eyes. Add smirks. Ciel doesn't.

That moment was the start of their ‘friendship’. Neither of them ever referred to the other as ‘friend’, but it was an unspoken truth.

The El Search Party all had their reasons for joining, reasons that had somehow brought them together. In a way, they were all connected, as if they were destined to meet.

Of course, destiny was nothing more than childish words to the one who could twist time and space with a flick of the wrist. When Add tosses away his humanity and loses his sanity, the El Search Party are powerless to stop his descent into the deep end.

 

* * *

 

 

The first time Add’s scleras turn pitch black, they’re on the battlefield. On patrol, Lu, Ciel and Add had run into a troublesome enemy. The Shadow Master they’re fighting against has the power to regenerate at will. The Shadow Master makes a motion as it casts a powerful spell.

Add cackles, and Ciel whips his head around at the sound. It’s the same laugh he’d always done. It was the same, and yet… Lu’s shoulders are tensed, eyes wide. She must have sensed the same energy.

If Lu and Ciel were beings referred to as _demons_... Add could only be called a _devil_.

“Moonlight Rhapsody.”

Ciel’s hands move faster than his brain as he rushes to cover Lu’s ears. The Shadow Master stumbles, expression contorting in pain and confusion. A high pitched ring fills the area as sparking purple energy flows through the air.

Add calmy strides toward the Shadow Master, a broad grin on his face. His eyes are pitch black, irises a glowing purple. Add’s pylons fill the area, one after the other after the other after the other. The Shadow Master bends over in pain, trying uselessly to cover it’s ears.

“Kahaha! Struggle more, struggle more! Isn’t this fun?!” Even when their enemy doesn’t respond, Add’s smile remains. His teeth shine like the knives Ciel keeps concealed under his coat. The little kitten he’d seen so long ago had grown, grown, and grown.

He’d grown into something unrecognizable. “Stardust Shower…!”

A crack in space time. The high pitched ringing is starting to quiet, but then…

There’s a loud crash. Despite the gravity of the situation, Ciel can see the beauty. It was like shooting stars, raining from the Heavens above.

Though, what would a demon know about Heaven?

Once the purple masses make contact with the enemy, they explode. The final explosion is the largest and the loudest.

The Shadow Master’s innards are scattered across the field. There’s no way for it to regenerate now.

Ciel’s hands rest on Lu’s shoulders. The pair examine the battlefield in silence. Add simply stands in the spot he’s been in. Ciel takes a step towards him, but Add doesn’t move.

A second passes.

Add falls backwards, Ciel rushing to catch him. He’s gone limp, face pale. Lu walks over to look over Add’s injuries. His hands are torn open from the force of his own power.

Lu clicks her tongue, impatient. “He doesn’t know how to properly control himself. ...Simply put, this is a burnout. How foolish.”

Ciel adjusts the unconscious Add on his back.

Once Lu, Ciel and Add are viewing distance from the rest of the El Search Party, Ciel partially hopes Add stays unconscious for a bit longer. It’d be a pain to deal with.

Ara is the first to dash over.

“Is...Is he alright? What happened?”

“Nothing more than overwork, Lu says.” Ciel can feel Add’s breathing on the back of his neck. “He should wake up eventually, but for now… Where’s Ain? Add is badly injured in several places of his body.”

Ara nods, then runs off to find Ain. Ciel finds a place to lay Add down, then stands with his arms crossed, waiting.

Lu’s arms are also crossed, but she has a frustrated expression.

“Lu?”

“You felt it too, Ciel. The energy coming from Add…”

Footsteps. Ciel’s heart beats in his chest, much to his chagrin.

“Corruption.” Ain’s words are sharp, his voice breathy. “How foolish of you, Mr. Ancient.”

Ain casts a healing spell, soft light filling the area around him. His eyes look down on Add. Ciel recognizes the look as _pity_. Disgust.

The same look that Ain gives Ciel.

As Ain finishes, he leaves without a word, without a glance. Ciel isn’t sure if he should be relieved or hurt.

“His eyes were much like yours.”

Ciel turns to look at Lu. Unconsciously, Ciel touches the eye hidden by his hair.

“Indeed they were. What do you think it means, Lu?”

She snorts, undignified. “It means he's gone off the deep end. He was unhinged in the first place, but now…” Lu falls silent, eventually turning to look at Ciel. She stretches her hand out and touches Ciel’s singular horn.

It's been growing slowly, ever since Ciel succumbed to Lu’s evergrowing demonic energy. Their contract had already been irreversible, but now somehow more than before.

Ciel really wasn't human.

“It seems like it's growing. Is there a second one yet?”

Ciel shakes his head. “No. Only during Madness.”

Lu nods.

“I sort of expected that. It's okay. We're one being. You'll catch up to me eventually!”

Ciel smiles, half out of habit and half out of pleasure.

If he could only be seen as corrupt, then it would only be appropriate to go all the way.

Ain never could have loved Ciel in the first place. Someone so devoted to their Goddess would never lose themselves in a romance with a demon. No one in their right mind, anyways.

Add groans.

For a reason he doesn't want to dwell on for too long, Ciel holds his breath while waiting for Add to open his eyes.

Add’s face twitches, then finally, his eyes open.

They're back to normal.

“You overdid it and passed out.” Ciel explains.

“Kukuku… to have made a Stardust Shower of that size, I'm not shocked.” Add tries to sit up. Lu presses down on his chest, sharp nails digging in.

“Oh? What's this, does the toddler want to pick a fight?” Add taunts, brows furrowed to glare at Lu. Ciel knows Add’s bluffing. He couldn’t even push Lu off in that state, let alone fight her one-on-one.

“Glad you're self aware.” Lu smirks at Add, who cackles despite the insult-- well, perhaps because of the insult.

“I know just what updates Dynamo needs. Let me go.”

“No.” Ciel crosses his arms, towering over Add. “You broke both of your hands. Ain healed them, but they won't be able to move as you'd like.”

Doubting Ciel’s words, Add clenches a fist, wiggles his fingers. It’d be better to say that he ‘tried’ rather than ‘did’.  

“...Kahah... Pathetic.”

That's the last word Add says for the rest of the night. Lu and Ciel stick by his side. Demons don't need as much rest, many can function entirely without it. Lu dozes off in Ciel’s arms as he absentmindedly strokes her hair. Ciel himself had given up on attempting sleep. Even if he did fall asleep, he’d wake up within hours, feeling no rested than before.

Lu’s breathing is slow and steady. Even though she had regained the majority of her powers, when she was asleep like this, she seemed to be nothing more than a mere child.

The sun rises.

 

* * *

 

 

In the morning, the El Search Party set off once again. Ciel keeps a careful watch on Add. Out of the corner of his eye, Ciel notices that the rest of their party seems to be, too.

Naturally. Everyone could clearly tell Add’s aura of power was starkly different.

They're all looking at Add differently. Ain, of course, looks at him with the same eyes as before. Ara looks confused-- almost like she didn't fully understand. Chung seemed on edge, same with Aisha. Rena hadn't pulled Add aside to talk yet, but her gaze was, as always, filled with care and concern. Elsword and Elesis had matching looks of worry. Siblings, Ciel thinks with a pang in his chest.

Add was easy to worry about, especially when he would snap and refuse help.

Raven looks at Add with a particular look. Pity? No. It was something else. Raven looked at Add as if Add was Raven's reflection. Ciel didn't know much about Raven, but he knew enough to understand that much. It was a sorrowful sight.

Eve watches Add with an expressionless gaze. Through their journey to the next village, Add’s eyes would blur and then deepen to pitch black. There didn't seem to be a particular trigger for it. Right now, they were black.

Add’s brows were furrowed, hands limply at his sides. Even though he rested through the night, he wouldn't have proper control over them till the next day… and that was at the very least, assuming Add wouldn't act rashly and indulge in experiments.

Ciel wondered if Add would give an honest smile if he noticed Eve looking his way.

Probably not.

It'd been a long time since Add’s gaze had been anything other than corrupted. Except when he looked at Eve. Even though he didn't notice, Add would always look at Eve with soft eyes. Eyes that revealed his true feelings for her. The problem was, you couldn't see your own eyes unless you were looking in a mirror.

Neither Ciel nor Add had looked into a mirror willingly in years.

Eve looks away before Add can notice. He must really be lost in thought. Ciel slows his footsteps down to match Add’s, who’s near the back. Lu looks over at him, raising her brow. Ciel wordlessly shakes his head.

“How are you feeling?”

“Hands still aren’t working, kekek… No, I haven’t done any experiments either, before you ask.” Add’s response is dripping with sarcasm, but he idly scratches just above his eye. It’s like back when he wore the eye patch, Ciel realizes.

“Missing your eye patch?”

Add has a look of disbelief _and_ disgust on his face, and Ciel almost gets the urge to laugh. Devil though he may be, Add was still incredibly expressive to the point where Ciel wished Add would perform on a stage, rather than the battlefield. Though, it wouldn’t be willingly.

“Why bother? ...Kukuku, don’t compare me to you.”

How many times has Add used those words? Self-conscious, Ciel brushes the bangs in front of his eye to ensure they’re covering the blackened sclera. Was it hypocritical of him? Probably, but the urge to hide would disappear as soon as Ciel’s emotions left him.

Ciel hums, nodding to himself. Add looks at the demon like he’s lost his mind-- which, in all fairness, they both had.

“You should wear two eye patches.”

Silence.

“Are you an idiot?”

“Maybe I am.” Ciel smiles sadly. “But that’d make you one, too.”

Add doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even look like he wants to. Ciel didn’t feel the familiar pang of guilt upon saying something that hurt another anymore. It didn’t feel numb, either.

“...We’re both idiots.” Add looks silently forward once he’s finished speaking. Ciel follows his gaze.

Eve didn’t look back once.

 

* * *

 

At night, Ciel roused from sleep. It was a mistake to even try to attempt in the first place, but what’s done is done. Lu is asleep beside him, and he moves quietly to not disturb her. He hears two familiar voices talking and unconsciously hides himself. Demons can see well in the dark -- the faces become clear faster than their voices do.

“Humans need sleep.” Eve is standing with her back straight, voice clear. Ciel can almost hear the concern, but it’s so light it’s barely there.

Add’s shoulders are tensed, arms still limply at his side. “Kukuku… What would a Nasod know about that?”

Eve’s face contorts into a glare. “Of course I know such a basic fact. You dare look down on Nasods?”

When Add rolls his eyes, even from a distance, Ciel can see the dark in his scleras, the purple of his irises standing out like a sore thumb. Add’s smile is evident, sharp teeth glistening in the moonlight.

Ciel wants to walk away. It feels like he’s intruding on something he shouldn’t see, but he knows if he tries, they’ll hear. He stands with a bated breath.

There’s sigh-- a gentle one, filled with worry. Eve’s expression has softened, and she reaches her hand out to stroke Add’s cheek.

“Kekeh, what’s wrong? Though I already know what you’re going to say, it’s--...”

Eve cuts him off. “You look… scary, with your eyes black like that. Are you really alright, Add?” Her voice is so sweet, Ciel distantly wonders if his cookies could compare.

Add’s fake cocky smile melts away. His face completely and utterly falls-- like he’d just got his heart broken. Was it even possible to shatter something so delicate into more pieces than before?

“...Kukuku…” The laughter starts out quiet, then bursts into something loud. “Kahaha! How low I’ve fallen, to have you say such things to me. Kukuku, I’m fine, I’m fine!”

Ciel turns his head. Lu has awoken, likely from Add’s maniacal laughter. The rest of their conversation dulls into mere buzzing as Ciel focuses Lu's and his connection. Her presence has suddenly become much louder than it was moments ago. It feels like something has changed. Ciel feels a slight pressure on the top of his head. Snapping back to awareness, Ciel turns his head to see Add walking off in the distance. Eve is nowhere to be seen.

Silently, Ciel follows behind, catching up slowly.

He finds Add in a field.

Ciel sees the remnants of rocks and trees. There was a wake of destruction that Ciel recognizes as Add’s double Void Field-- no, it had expanded further than that. It must have been a triple!

Add’s body couldn't survive the onslaught of attacks he was casting!

“Stardust Shower!”

Add destroys everything in the field. Anything living, even innocent creatures-- they die before they realize they’ve been attacked. Add’s scleras flash from white to black, black to white. Destruction rains from the sky above, debris falling and threatening to crush Add.

Ciel rushes in without thinking, crashing into Add and pulling him out of the way.

A vicious, maniacal cackle. Add keeps laughing and laughing, but his shoulders are shaking and his face has gone pale. Add clenches his fist, firing off a Neutron Bomb. The skin on his hands breaks. Ain would need to heal it again later. Blood flows freely from the gruesome wound.

It’s black.

Add’s blood is black.

Ciel watches with widened eyes, and Add just laughs harder. He laughs and laughs and laughs, never running out of breath. His expression contorts to an inhuman grin, but Ciel can tell he’s just pretending because he _knows_ the hurt in Add's eyes. Even though it was too late-- even though it was too late for the both of them…

Even though they were both corrupted beyond repair...

Ciel rushes forward, then wraps his arms around Add, pulling him into a tight embrace. Add tenses, then his shoulders go limp. He’s shaking worse than before. Add’s stopped laughing, becoming replaced by a sound Ciel doesn’t enjoy hearing.

The only noise in the empty space was the sound of Add’s sobs.

Add cries, head buried in Ciel’s shoulder. Ciel can feel a slight burning sensation. Is it Add’s tears? No-- could they even be called tears? Like his blood, Add’s tears are pitch black. The sound of quiet, heartbroken crying.

Add grips the back of Ciel’s coat.

“I’m a monster.”

Ciel didn’t even realize that he had begun crying, too. Somewhere deep in his heart, he knew this was the last time he ever would. The feeble connection Ciel had on his emotions was fading quicker by the second. Maybe, Add was the one tethering Ciel to his humanity just a bit longer. By becoming close, they ensured a mutual destruction.

Ciel’s voice cracks, but he pushes through. He can’t bear to raise his voice any louder than it feels already.

“I am too.”

Together, they lose the last of themselves-- as always, corruption had a silver lining. You’d never, ever be alone in your toxicity. There would always be another. Even if your existence was something disgusting, something to sneer at-- you wouldn’t be alone.

They cry for their lost selves. They hold a funeral for the past they once had and the future that they gave up.

Looking around at the destruction that surrounded the two, a graveyard of innocent souls, souls whose only crimes were their existence in this moment. Ciel fixes his gaze on Add’s tear streaked face.

Somewhere along the line, Ciel’s second horn had materialized. The first couple seconds felt invasive-- foreign. Then, it felt natural. The horns felt like they had always been there, as if there was never a day without them.

Yes, perhaps they had always been there.

 

* * *

 

Ain doesn't bother to hide the malice in his words upon seeing Add.

“How horrid.”

Add purposely avoids eye contact, but has a nasty grin on his face. The wounds haven't even begun to scab. They've only clotted, the tar-like black blood looking rotten in contrast to Add’s pale skin.

Lu carefully examines Ciel’s body, touching delicately while a soft blue light radiates from her hands. Her hands caress his face.

“It's official, Ciel. As one who's bound to me by our very souls, you've followed me and ascended into glory.”

Ain hears these words and sharply turns his head to face the two demons. “Ascended? I believe you've mistaken your words. You've descended, into a path of sin. Not even the Goddess could save any of you.”

Add cackles. “No faith in your dear Goddess? What an unloyal follower.”

Ain’s hand grips Add’s wrist. Blood oozes out from the still delicate wound, but Add doesn't flinch. He keeps a smile present on his face. Ain, meanwhile, has a look of disdain.

“I won't allow such words to be said by you, Mr. Ancient-- the one who ridicules time.”

“Kukuku.” Add twists his hand out of Ain’s grasp, but the priest doesn't let go. Blood drips slowly down Add’s wrist. “And how do you plan to stop me? Will you purge me yourself? It'd be a true honor… aren't you afraid of becoming corrupted, yourself?”

Ain finally releases Add’s wrist, then stares at his blood stained hand.

“Corruption…” Ciel quietly whispers, distantly aware of Lu’s hand in his, her thumb moving in comforting circles on his palm.

“Yes, corruption.” Ain says, not looking over at Ciel. “Perhaps I should rid the world of all of you. You're nothing more than a deplete of our precious resources.”

Ciel liked it better when Ain would glare at him, disgust evident. It hurt significantly less than when Ain didn't look at all.

“Perhaps.” Ciel’s words are devoid of any emotion. They're nothing more than an empty statement. Would the world be better off without the corrupt? Perhaps it would.

The grip Lu has on Ciel's hand is suddenly tight. An almost guilty expression crosses her face, but it's quickly changed to a glare that's directed at Ain.

Whether the world would be better off without such loathsome existences? Even if it was, that would never be a reason for them to stop existing. They would live on, until the day they didn't-- until the day fate snatched their life away.

Fate, of course, could be a single strong will, taken off course at the hands of singular being’s soul.

 

* * *

 

“I should have taken it upon myself to do this much earlier. Alas, my foolishness overwhelmed me. However, I can see clearly now. The path I must take.”

An empty field, grass stretching across for what seems like an eternity. It looks as if they've stumbled upon a world where time cannot move. The seconds that pass when Corl blinks are comparable to a century.

With Ain’s weapon and Ciel’s throat, the demon can't find it in himself to back away.

Ciel could hardly dig out the memory that started their fight. It felt so far away and distant, despite being nothing more than mere hours. Of course, seconds felt like centuries. Hours transcended time-- they felt like thousands and thousands of years had gone by.

Ciel is on his knees. Lu is collapsed on the ground.

How cruel, to ambush your own comrades while in the middle of another battle. Who was the one who decided to put these three together for patrol? Was it Lu’s fault for keeping her back wide open? Was it her fault for trusting Ain, despite his harsh words?

But, she was the one who noticed Ain’s intent before. Her reaction was 0.4 seconds off. Had she been quicker, would they still be in this situation?

Ah, but Lu hasn't fully returned to her former glory, was that their miscalculation? That they could survive the hand of the one who was chosen by a Goddess?

Ciel licks his lips.

Ahh, but dying by Ain’s hand-- was it alright for a demon to receive such a blessing? Ain's gaze was filled with piercing hatred, but the moment felt ever so sweet.

“Corrupt beings such as yourself… Should perish from this world. You're nothing more than a stain.”

Ciel closes his eyes.

A slow and painful death; a quick and painless death. Ciel couldn't decide which he preferred. They each had their pros and cons.

Slow and painful, Ciel's last moments of agony could be spent looking at the fading figure of the Ain he used to love so much.

Quick and painless, the journey will end in an instant. There will be no recollection of treasured memories, only an empty space that Lu and Ciel had once occupied.

Ain is about to flick his wrist-- how delightful that one singular move could decide Ciel’s fate! Anticipation builds up, rampaging in his chest.

Death never came.

Ain had retracted his weapon, and Ciel opens his eyes upon hearing a familiar cackle. There's a crack in space-time. Out of it, someone-- _something_ , exits. Add’s dynamos circle around him, erratic and unpredictable. A shockwave is fired at Ain, who smoothly dodges.

“I thought it was strange you were taking so long. Kuhuhu, it seems my deductions were correct.”

Somehow, Add knew that Ain was planning to kill Lu and Ciel during their patrol-- Ain must have been waiting for a moment of vulnerability. He let the environment and other enemies do the beginning damage, then cruelly attempted to finish the job.

Add nimbly lands on the ground. His footsteps are quiet, grass leaving the sound muted.

“Would you mind backing off?”

Ain’s icy glare has no effect on Add. Neither look willing to back down. Suddenly, a purple aura surrounds Lu and Ciel.

“Kehehe, I didn't expect you to say yes. It was more fun this way.”

Just like that, Add, Lu and Ciel all disappear. Ain is left alone in the field, and lets out an agitated sigh.

“Goddess, give me strength.”

 

* * *

 

Within the lake devoid of life, Ciel and Add sit, staring off into the distance. Lu is asleep, resting on Ciel's shoulder.

The sudden silence is a jarring contrast to the intrusive loudness of the battlefield. A lake in a forest, a hidden paradise surrounded by trees. It didn't suit any of them.

Silence was nothing more than the prelude to the situation about to unfold.

Add opens his mouth to speak, but Ciel quickly cuts him off.

“Why?”

Add raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean, _'why’_? Kuku, shouldn't you be thanking me? Shouldn't you be grateful I went out of my way for you?”

Ciel whirls around to glare at Add, a heated expression-- now a foreign and incomprehensible sight. Add clicks his tongue.

“Would you have preferred I left you to die?” Add's voice lacks it's usual pompous air.

Ciel simply shakes his head.

Silence creeps in between the two again, atmosphere heavy.

“Lu and I have been planning to leave the El Search Party. The events of today will only hasten our departure.”

Add’s mouth opens and then closes. Ciel knew Add well enough to recognize that fleeting expression as sadness. A hint of loneliness, even.

“After that? You sure you don't want to stay?” A voice dripping with sarcasm, Add takes a pebble and tosses it into the lake.

“I'm sorry.”

“...You really aren't. Kek. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame you. It's likely I'll leave soon, too. There's nothing of worth I can gain.”

“Not even Eve?” Ciel quietly asks. Following in Add’s stead, he throws a pebble. It bounces lightly across the water.

“We're always in the same situation. I don't think you need to ask a question like that, Ciel.”

“I can't feel my emotions anymore.” Ciel states, suddenly. The words feel heavy on his throat. Speaking them felt similar to vomiting. Disgusting, yet strangely relieving. Like something was finally, finally over. The climax had passed. All that was left was a blissful descent.

Freedom.

Add stares blankly back. “Oh.”

“...There's only a fragment of a feeling. I feel like if I don't tell you this now, you'll never know, and I'll soon forget the meaning of my words.”

Add doesn't say anything in response, choosing instead to stay silent and gaze at the horizon.

“Thank you. For being my friend.” Ciel says, as genuinely as he can.

The time traveler’s face is easy to read. Thoughts form in his brain, but he doesn't speak any of them.

_So, you're saying you'll forget the feeling of our friendship?_

Add parts his lips, exhaling quietly.

“Pleasure was all mine.”

They continue to skip pebbles across the lake. Neither of them say another word.

Add returns back to camp alone, and then leaves alone a week later.

Eve grabs him by the shoulder.

“Are you really leaving?”

He jerks out of her grip. With his back to her, Add laughs. “Did you think I was bluffing?”

There's no response. Add can hear the idle noises of Moby and Remy, sounds he's gotten used to hearing.

“Stay safe, Add.”

Add leaves without looking back.

That's right, there was nothing left for him here. No way to help him return to where he wanted to be. Eve’s core was useless to him. There was nothing left to be gained from Add remaining in the El Search Party. It would better serve the remaining members if he wasn't there. Though several of them had fallen into darkness, Add knew that unwanted people were better off leaving.

“Kukuku… That's right. I'm wasting my time. No matter what it takes, no matter what I have to sacrifice…”

A broad grin stretches across Add’s face.

“I'll come back for you, Mother.”

 

* * *

 

In a cold land, devoid of light-- a demon Lord sits on a throne of skulls. Her shadow lurks somewhere in the endless abyss of darkness. Lu’s eyes are shut as she hums a chaotic melody. She twirls her pointer finger in a circular motion.

A cruel smirk appears on her face as a minion present before Lu is ruthlessly murdered.

“Do you feel it, Ciel…? A familiar presence, yet distant, like the stars in a blackened sky…”

Empty silence, followed by a singular shot from Ciel’s rifle. The bullet is swallowed up as the space around it twists.

Out of the rift comes a small boy in an oversized coat. A hood covers his face.

“Show yourself.”

The click-clack of footsteps echoes as the figure comes closer. With the haphazardly scattered mechanical objects behind his back clinking, the boy slowly removes his hood to reveal a familiar face.

There's no mistaking it.

“Why, Add… it's been quite a while.” Lu’s voice drips with gentle kindness, but she makes no attempt to greet their former party member any further. “I take it you haven't been well?”

Add stretches out his hand, sighing with a long exhale.

“Time comes for us all. I had no choice but to discard my previous form.”

Lu smiles. “You've discarded your former self, similar to how I've metamorphosed into this form. I've gained much power… power that greatly surpasses my former glory.”

“Kuhuhu… should I congratulate you?”

The demon on her throne laughs.

Add subtly narrows his eyes, glancing around the room.

“Looking for Ciel?”

Upon hearing his name, Ciel emerges from out of the shadows. This time, Add's change in expression isn't subtle.

He has an almost gentle look in his eyes.

With quiet footsteps, Add walks right up to Ciel. Though Add floats, Ciel is much taller. Still, Add reaches out to caress Ciel’s cheek. He glances upwards at the horns that protrude from Ciel's head.

“Your horns grew in.” The corners of Add’s lips turn up, but just barely. “Still hiding behind your hair?”

Ciel doesn't speak, but Add didn't expect anything at all. He knew one would get more response from a brick wall.

With a flash of golden light, Add's body has suddenly grown. Ciel and Add are of near equal height.

“Oho?” Lu leans forward.

Add tucks a thick lock of hair behind his ear. Lavender-white hair cascades down his back. It's a beautiful sight. His scleras are now matching with one another. The oversized coat fits much better now.

“Surprised?” Add asks, sounding proud of himself.

Ciel reaches out, cutting Add off even before he's attempted to speak again. He grabs Add’s hand.

“Add.”

Add closes his eyes.

“Kuhu… What is it, my friend?”

Lu raises a brow, nails clicking on the armrest of her throne.

“You ought to leave.”

Add opens his eyes. He delicately gets himself out of Ciel’s grip, glancing over at Lu. She has a thin smile on her face.

Yes. Unwanted people were better off leaving.

Not to mention the strange aura that had been increasing from the moment Add stepped in. He can feel a number of intrusive presences coming closer.

“An attack on your castle. Kuku, should I stay and help?”

Ciel raises his rifle as Add moves aside, Dynamos at the ready. Lu hasn't moved from her throne quite yet.

“Beg pardon, our dear Add… but you'd only get in the way. Ciel, back to the shadows. We need to make them realize their place.”

Add nods, watching quietly as Ciel disappears. The intruders must be progressing through the castle slowly. Lu and Ciel clearly set up many traps.

Add raises his hand. A purple rift appears. He takes a step forward into it.

“Oh, Add?”

Lu looks over. Add does a half-turn to face her.

“Do visit us again.”

Add steps through, teleporting away, but not before he gives a quiet response

“Yes. I'll be back.”

Once their visitor has left, Lu cracks her knuckles. The throne room bursts open, a horde of demons filing through.

“Kyahaha! You dare disturb me? Very well! I'll teach you your place. I _have_ been looking for some entertainment.” A flash of blue shoots from her hand, killing at least forty demons at once. “At least try to impress me! Come forth, Ciel!”

 

* * *

 

Add walks out of the rift, bending down on his knees.

“We've all changed.”

He straightens up, not before realizing he's no longer in his true form. Once again, he has the appearance of his younger self. He looks down at his hands.

“... Meaningless, it's all meaningless.”

Ain, Elsword, Rena, Aisha, Raven, Eve, Chung, Ara, Elesis, Lu, Ciel and… Add.

They were all meaningless. What did any of them matter? None of it mattered! Nothing! Nothing at all!

If he could find the energy or the will to, Add would have screamed. He was devoid of both, so he stayed silent.

Add presses down on his eye, tracing his fingers down the purple scar on his face. He thought of Eve’s words, the ones from so long ago.

“Kuhuhuu… You thought I was scary then, what would you think of me now…?”

Add wraps his arms around himself, shutting his eyes until flashes of light appear. He raises his palm, a shining fragment appearing.

Instead of the usual shard of space-time, another woman is there. One with long, pale-blonde hair. A Nasod, with a blue core. She's wearing all black armor. Her expression is the same as it always was. Add found her just as beautiful as he always did. Though he had nothing akin to a human heart, he could still feel the gentle thump in his chest upon seeing her again.

“Eve.”

Though he calls out so desperately, Add receives no response. He closes his eyes again, unwilling to face the loneliness that came with looking.

 

With his eyes closed, Add misses as Eve looks up, as if someone had called her.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this like, so many months ago. I started writing this before the third jobs came out, and I was like, "huh, how should I end this?" and then the third jobs came out and I was just (solemn nodding). I had a lot of fun writing this, and personally attacking my dear friend Kiyo with the contents of said fic.  
> Anyways, thank you very much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed, and if you did, feel free to leave a kudo or a comment! I'd love to talk with you. I also have writing commissions open, if you enjoyed this and want a fic catered directly to you!  
> Once more, thank you very much for reading, and I hope you have a lovely day!


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